MANEUVERS

Yesterday was one big outflanking action as the kids advanced relentlessly through the day at our house. A blog entry would be like sitting down in a chair or something. Self-removal from the ongoing action is not permitted by the triumvirate of miniqueens, who divide the world equally among themselves, the way nations try in vain to do.

Echo was the designated cook and I was the designated dishwasher, table setter, all-purpose toy overseer and general kid handler, while parents Kasumi and Tatsuya went off into Kyoto to do something they haven't done in a long time: go shopping together for a few hours without the kids. Musta been weird.

After the kids were fed - they no longer take naps, a major setback in the grandparent counterinsurgency - we took the whole crew out for a nice tiring walk up through the woods, picking cloudberries and poking at mushrooms as we went, then out and across the mountain face of rice paddies where the three climbed and rolled and ran and had a satisfyingly exhausting afternoon in the rainy snow until dinner when we were back on full duty again...